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Samsara
2011 102 min Brazil, China, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Namibia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America PG-13 12+
★8.0
Documentary
Director: Ron Fricke
Trailers
Description
Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.
Budget:
$4M
US Gross:
$2.67M
Worldwide:
$2.64M
Starring
Balinese Tari Legong Dancers
Actor
Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi
Actor
Puti Sri Candra Dewi
Actor
Awards
1 win & 6 nominations total
Key opinion
Samsara is a visually breathtaking non-narrative documentary that uses 70mm cinematography and rhythmic editing to explore the cycle of human existence and the impact of industrialization. While viewers largely praise its technical mastery and hypnotic aesthetic, opinions remain divided on its thematic depth, with some finding it a profound meditation on humanity and others dismissing it as a repetitive, surface-level critique of modern life.
| Cinematography | The 70mm cinematography provides stunningly detailed, high-fidelity imagery that is best experienced on a large screen. | |
| Score | The musical score successfully unifies the episodic fragments and deepens the film's immersive, meditative atmosphere. | |
| Screenplay | The film functions as a non-narrative visual almanac, eschewing dialogue and traditional scripts to allow for pure sensory experience. | |
| Pacing | The contemplative, slow-paced structure rewards viewers who engage in passive meditation, but feels tedious or aimless to those seeking a traditional dramatic arc. | |
| Originality | The film is criticized as being overly derivative of the director's previous work, such as Baraka, leading to a sense of deja vu rather than fresh insight. | |
| Theme | The thematic focus on consumerism and Buddhist philosophy is praised by some as a necessary moral warning, while others find the imagery and social critique to be shallow, clichéd, or heavy-handed. |